Hi kelliemac
Thank you for posting.
Many people ask about vitamins, supplements or herbal products, as they want to do as much as possible to be healthy following a diagnosis of breast cancer or to help manage the side effects from treatments such as chemotherapy. There is often the belief that these products are safe as they are considered natural. However, most don’t have to comply with the same regulations or rigorous testing that conventional medicines do.
For many products there is a lack of research to support their use, and some as you mention can interfere with conventional medicines including cancer treatments. Although some herbal teas like mint or ginger may be suggested to help manage nausea, it is best to check with your treatment team before using herbal teas or any supplements or herbal remedies, during chemotherapy. They are in the best position to advise you about this or to suggest other drinks that may be more palatable than plain water such as fruit infused water that can be prepared at home.
As @shine25 mentioned, you can search this American website, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, for information about individual supplements. Each has sections on existing evidence and what known interaction there is with other medications. You may find that that some herbs have different names in America. You can also search herbal products and supplements on the European website Complementary and Alternative Medicine for cancer and on the American website Medicine Plus
We have a variety of free support services, which may be of interest to you at this time. We have both online and face to face services and there is more information about all of these on the link.
You may also find the monthly chemotherapy threads on our online Forum helpful for some support.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.
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Best wishes
Eve
Breast Care Nurse
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